1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to backpacks and, more particularly, to backpacks which are manipulable between a first form suitable for wearing, as to facilitate the carrying and transportation of articles, and a second form enabling the backpack—or a part thereof—to perform an alternative function, such as that of a chair or another support.
2. Discussion of the Background Art
Those engaging in such activities as hiking, bicycling, camping, going to the beach, and similar outdoor activities often find themselves in need of a chair or other support structure. The manner in which this need is addressed, if at all, may depend as much or more upon the nature of the activity itself as upon the distance the participant must traverse before starting (or interrupting) the activity. If an intended camp site or beach location is not too far from one's car and the distance will be traversed by foot, many will opt to hand-carry one or more folding chairs and even to make separate trips for such other gear as tents, sleeping bags, or the like. Where the distance to be traveled is long and over variable terrain, as is often the case for a hike or bicycle ride, or if the activity incorporates paddling as the means of locomotion (i.e., paddle-boarding, canoeing, or kayaking), conventional folding chairs are too bulky and/or unwieldy to be practical.
Backpacks which integrate a folding chair accessory with the traditional article storage capacity have also been proposed to obviate the need to carry a folding chair by hand. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,409,291 entitled “Combined Chair and Backpack” and filed by Lamb et al. on Aug. 6, 1993, for example, there is shown a combined chair and backpack which includes a conventional folding lawn chair type frame having an upper transverse frame member pivotally connected to an upper portion of a pack frame. While such a structure frees the wearer from the necessity of hand-carrying a chair support to the point of use, it is nonetheless large, bulky and cumbersome for the wearer. The present inventor has recognized that a continuing need exists for a backpack article which is not merely manipulable into a chair, but also compact, lightweight, and fully compatible with a wide variety of sports activities so that a more functional outdoor experience conducive to sporting and sitting is enabled.